Senior Lindsey Bashor and freshman Kiki Munoz each finished with three
hits while Marissa Marzan earned her second win of the series in the circle
as the Titans completed the three-game sweep of UC Riverside thanks to
a 7-4 victory on Sunday afternoon at Amy S. Harrison Field.
Fullerton improved to 16-14 overall, 7-2 in the Big West Conference while
remaining undefeated on the road in Big West play with a 6-0 mark. UC
Riverside fell to 11-31 overall, 0-9 in league play.
Marzan (7-5) tossed her second complete game in as many days, allowing
four runs on eight hits, walking one and striking out two. She has won
three of her past four starts overall. Christin Songer (4-12) suffered
the loss in the circle for UCR, allowing six runs on seven hits, walking
one.
A very efficient first inning got the Titans out to a quick start as Lindsey
Bashor led off with a double down the left field line, tagged up and moved
to third on a fly ball by Katie Gollhardt, and eventually scored on a
two-out infield single by Candice Baker for the 1-0 lead.
The Bashor-Baker combo again produced a run in the third as Bashor led
off with a single to center, advanced to third on a sacrifice and ground
out, and scored when Baker's ground ball was mishandled by the second
baseman to make it 2-0.
Riverside answered with a pair of runs in its half of the third, both
coming with two outs. Jessica Black's RBI double bounced under the glove
of a diving Ashley Van Boxmeer to score April Murray and cut the deficit
to 2-1. Melissa Sanchez then followed, tying the game with an RBI single
to left and plate Jamie Yee.
The bottom of the order got the lead back for Cal State Fullerton in the
fourth as Tiffany Hoff walked to lead off the inning and pinch runner
Whitney Kroh beat out a throw to second on Kiki Munoz's fielder's choice.
A ground ball moved both runners into scoring position for Crystal Vieyra,
who promptly looped a ball down the left field line for a double, scoring
both runners for a 4-2 lead. Vieyra scored one batter later on a delayed
steal as Bashor, who beat out an infield single to the right side, stole
second, drawing the throw from the Riverside defense to make it 5-2.
Then, with two outs, Gollhardt singled back up the middle for her first
hit of the afternoon, driving home Bashor from second to make it 6-2.
Munoz, who also finished 3-for-4 on the day, capped the scoring for Fullerton
thanks to a bloop double to center that fell inbetween three HIghlanders,
allowing Whitney Kroh to score all the way from first base for the final
7-2 score.
Black made things interesting in the seventh for the Highlanders, smashing
a home run with the wind deep to left with a runner on to make it 7-4.
However, Marzan struck out Sanchez swinging to end the game.
Cal State Fullerton returns to action next Thursday (April 14) at 4 p.m.
with a non-conference doubleheader against Loyola Marymount at the Titan
Softball Complex in the Titans' lone action of the week.
